#28 - Playing Time Gets Complicated: What Parents and Players Need to Know About Confidence, Roles, and Team Decisions in Youth Volleyball S2.10

About this episode

Sara and Michelle discuss the complexities of playing time and confidence in youth volleyball, emphasizing the emotional challenges and team dynamics involved.

In this episode, Sara and Michelle unpack one of the toughest parts of youth girls volleyball: balancing playing time, confidence, fairness, and team success. Drawing on real tournament experiences, they explore why coaching decisions are rarely simple, how athletes earn roles through practice, and why coming off the bench can feel so emotionally difficult for girls. The conversation also highlights the value of consistency, adaptability, and team-first thinking, reminding both parents and players that growth does not always look flashy. This is a thoughtful, honest episode for volleyball families trying to better understand the dynamics behind court time, confidence, and what it really means to support player development. Top 3 Takeaways Take a moment to reflect how far a player has come Playing time is a dynamic thing, understanding this can go a long way to answer the question - what do I need to do to get on the court? Do the best by most - as a team sport there are a lot of lessons that can be learned by expanding in your role even if its on the bench

People in this episode

Hosts: Sara, Michelle

Topics covered

• youth volleyball
• playing time
• confidence
• team dynamics
• player development
• coaching decisions

Keywords

• youth volleyball
• playing time
• confidence
• team roles
• coaching decisions
• player development
• emotional challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Soul Sister Leadership

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• #32 - When Your Teen Pulls Away: Why Coaches, Teams, and Strong Women Matter · May 13, 2026 · 29 min
• #31 - When Sitting on the Bench Is Still Playing for the Team · May 6, 2026 · 24 min
• #30 - Coachability: The Skill That Changes Everything S2.12 · April 1, 2026 · 22 min
• #29 - Confidence First, Results Follow: The Playing Time Paradox S2. 11 · March 25, 2026 · 29 min